CUMMINGS TO RIDE MILAN-SAN REMO

For the first time in years, four British riders will be in action at Milan-San Remo on Saturday after Steve Cummings (pictured) was selected for the Italian classic by the Discovery Channel team.

The 294-km race has been on the race programme of David Millar (Saunier Duval) and Roger Hammond (T-Mobile) since the start of the season. Hunt was given a place in the Unibet.com line-up after the team was given a late wild card invitation but Cummings late call-up boosts the British presence in the race to one of the highest ever.

?It?s great news and I?m really excited about riding one of the biggest races on the calendar,? Cummings told cyclingweekly.co.uk before travelling to Milan.

?I?m looking forward to it because I?ve shown I?ve been riding well, that I?m on form and can do my job for the team. I was training in Majorca at the start of the week when I got a call from the team. Some riders are injured after Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico and so I got the call up. I?ve never ridden such a long race but I did two six-hour rides in Majorca before coming home to rest up and so I?ll be okay.?

Cummings will be riding for Discovery Channel sprinter Allan Davis and Yaroslav Popovych. Paris-Nice winner Alberto Contador will not ride, while George Hincapie is still recovering after breaking his wrist at the Tour of California.

?I don?t what I?ll have to do for the team but I?m ready for anything. I know there?s often an early break and it might be my job to get in it. I?m up for that and think I can do well,? Cummings said.

Tommy Simpson is the only British winner of Milan-San Remo, having been the first up the legendary Via Roma finish in 1964. Brian Robinson third in 1957 and Max Sciandri was also third 1993.

Both Millar and Hammond are riding well after completing Paris-Nice. Hammond will be one of the leaders of the T-Mobile team along with sprinters Gerald Ciolek and Bernhard Eisel, and Kim Kirchen who was second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico. Millar will be joint team leader at Saunier Duval along with 23 year-old Italian Riccardo Ricco who won two stages at Tirreno-Adriatico. Jeremy Hunt will be riding for sprinters Baden Cooke, Jimmy Casper and Marco Zanotti.

Steve Cummings will have race number 102, Millar 181, Hammond 235, and Hunt last of the 200 starters with number 248.

There will be full coverage from Milan-San Remo on Saturday by Cycling Weekly‘s man in Italy, Stephen Farrand.